1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to induction heating equipment and is particularly directed to a portable induction heating tool of the type which is used to seal anchor plates with a heat-activated adhesive to a membrane roofing member. The invention is specifically disclosed as a membrane roofing tool that uses two different audible tones so two tools can be used simultaneously on a single roof, while allowing a user to easily distinguish between the operation of both tools. The invention is also disclosed as an induction heating tool that uses no forced cooling, in which all of the electronics are cooled strictly by natural air convection cooling. The invention is also disclosed as a membrane roofing tool which contains a controller that automatically counts the number of anchor plates for a jobsite, automatically counts the number of activation events for a tool's life, and keeps track of the number of faults which occur as the tool is being used; in addition, the tool has a controller that performs data logging functions, such as the number of anchor plates per job or per day that have been properly placed, and can also store energy setting changes or other tool operational attribute changes in a memory; moreover, the controller of the tool can identify the type of fault that occurs during operation of the tool, and can record the number of faults on a particular day and store it in a log.
2. Description of the Related Art
Induction heating devices have been available for use with membrane roofs in the past. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,127. The induction heating device in this patent used four sensing coils with indicators to help the user find the correct position of the induction tool over one of the attachment disks that is to be heated by the induction coil of the tool. This conventional tool was fairly small in height, and the user had to generally be in a kneeling position to use it.
Another conventional heating device for use with membrane roofs is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,332. This invention “pre-heats” the membrane roofing material, and has a rather large enclosure that sucks air through louvers to cool the electronics. Moreover, this device is a rolling device, and is not so much a portable device that could be lifted and placed over an anchor plate beneath the membrane layer being sealed.